VacuBots

LAB+ MODEL: STAGE 1-Explorations

Opportunity

Vaccines play a central role in the management and prevention of infectious diseases, both in the area of human and animal health. However, there are currently significant challenges regarding its safety, efficacy and spectrum of protection. An important limitation is achieving the ability to quickly and efficiently obtain formulations against emerging pathogens and their potential variants. An ideal vaccine platform is the one capable of generating broad spectrum responses allowing to deal with various circulating strains of the same pathogen and easily adaptable to both, the emergence of new variants and transferable to different host or pathologies.

Currently, Protein Engineering is generating a revolution in various areas of science, health and industry. The design of new proteins and/or the modification of existing proteins to provide them with new desired functions is a very promising technology.

Solution

VacuBots works on the design and use of self-assembling protein nanoparticles to generate vaccines made from a platform composed of different modules. This approach brings more precision to the rapid adaptation of the structure to different pathogens and their evolution, as well as to enhance immune responses towards specific antigens, improving the immune system response. In VacuBots, vaccines became safer, effective, more adaptable and capable of generating powerful and broad-spectrum immune responses.

Team

Agustín Correa, PhD. Biochemist, Design and production of the vaccine nanoparticles.

Matías Machado, PhD. Biophysicist, Computational design of nanoparticles.

Gonzalo Moratorio, PhD. Virologist, Scientific Advisor in virus infections.